A Portuguese Love Affair

A Portuguese Love Affair is a shop and delicatessen, located in Hackney, East London,^[1] founded by Portuguese entrepreneurs Dina Martins and Olga Cruchinho.^[2][3][4][5]

Founders Martins and Cruchinho, with professional backgrounds in journalism, education, and design,^[5] opened the shop as a means of representing Portuguese culture in the United Kingdom.^[6][7] According to them, the business's name and concept are centred on the Portuguese cultural concept of saudade.^[5][6]

Cruchinho and Martins previously operated a business in Portugal before relocating to London.^[2] Their first London location opened on Columbia Road in 2013,^{[6][8][9][10][11]} followed by a subsequent expansion^[6] to 324 Hackney Road.^{[4][6][8][12]}

The shop and café stock a range of Portuguese goods,^[11][13] including beauty products, wine, preserves, clothing, books, and ceramics.^{[5][6][9][14][15]} They source products from nearly 30 Portuguese suppliers, including items such as Bordallo Pinheiro ceramics.^[2][5] According to Cruchinho, initial public reception to the shop's curated concept was mixed, with some visitors expressing unfamiliarity with the specialized product range.^[1][6] It also hosts community events, including wine tastings, poetry readings, and book launches.^[7] Other past programming has included art exhibitions and events centred on traditional Portuguese culture.^[6]

The owners announced plans to develop the "Love Affair Basement" (L.A.B),^[3] a dedicated community space within the premises.^[12] To fund the project and the renovation of the Hackney Road location, the business carried a crowdfunding campaign.^[12] The project launched the crowdfunding campaign with a £60,000 target, with the budget being allocated for facility renovations, purchase of equipment, and operating costs.^[12] The basement space is designed for multifunctional use, including workshops, conferences, corporate events, drag performances and comedy nights,^[4][7][16] and sessions for transgender youth.^[12] The space opened in March 2025.^[17]